Project Yellow Light is a scholarship competition designed with one goal in mind: encourage and educate young people on the dangers of distracted driving.
Hunter Garner and friends.
U-Haul International, Inc. has renewed its partnership with PYL in support of the annual Hunter Garner Scholarship. As part of its role, U-Haul will again donate $16,000 to the video competition scholarship winners and have a presence on the panel of judges for the contest.
“I am over the moon!” PYL founder Julie Garner said. “I think U-Haul is an amazing company with great values and principles. It’s not just what they have done for Project Yellow Light that makes me so appreciative, but for all of its other charity work and sponsorships. They are helping make a difference all across the nation.”
U-Haul covers the cost of the scholarship prizes for the top three video submission winners for both the college and high school categories, as well as in-kind expenses toward their next moves.
The PYL video contest allows students to express their creativity by making a short video to capture the attention of the audience and encourage their peers to make the life-saving decision of putting their phone away while driving. Winners of the scholarship receive $5,000 for first place; $2,000 for second place; and $1,000 for third place for both the categories. The deadline for video submissions is April 1.
In honor of April being National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, U-Haul is offering a free online distracted driving course at http://myuhaulstory.com/distracted-driving.
The first-place videos will be turned into the Ad Council and edited for Public Service Announcements that will be distributed nationally to 1,600 TV stations.
Recently, Garner has added a new competition to the scholarship program. Students will now be able to create a billboard design to alert their peers to the perils of texting behind the wheel. The first-prize winners in the high school and college billboard competitions will receive a scholarship of $2,000. Billboard designs are due May 1.
The winning designs will be displayed on billboards across the country, courtesy of Clear Channel Outdoor, for all drivers to view during their travels.
Garner began PYL after the devastating loss of her son, Hunter, to a car wreck. She wanted to do something that would bring awareness to distracted-driving incidents and keep the memories of her son alive. Now the impact of her scholarship competition is reaching many.
“There’s also a ripple effect that takes place,” she said. “Each student who takes part is in some way impacted by the process and they, in turn, influence their family and friends. Before long, they’re having a positive effect on their community and all who they touch. When you look at it this way, every single person who participates in Project Yellow Light/Hunter Garner Scholarship is a winner. Because they are using their voice to make a positive change. And they just may save a life in the process.”
For details on deadlines, project criteria, rules and more, please visit www.projectyellowlight.com. For a wide selection of past winners, visit www.youtube.com/user/projectyellowlight.
